Medicines Patent Pool signs six new sub-licenses for HIV treatment tenofovir alafenamide

Medicines Patent Pool has signed six new sub-licenses with Aurobindo, Cipla, Desano, Emcure, Hetero Labs and Laurus Labs for generic manufacture of tenofovir alafenamide, for which MPP signed a license with US biotech major Gilead Sciences (Nasdaq: GILD) two months ago.

The new sub-licenses will see tenofovir alafenamide manufactured in 112 developing countries, and come a day after  Gilead released positive results for two of its Phase III studies of the drug, which suggested that the medicine has the potential to scale up HIV treatment.

Greg Perry, executive director at MPP, said: "The generic companies will begin development plans for a promising, new HIV product simultaneous with the US Food and Drug Administration's review to expedite access to low- and middle-income countries once the medicine is approved. This is revolutionary in its approach to ensuring more people living with HIV have access to newer options for treating the disease."